Metro News Release

For immediate release: November 5, 2009

Metro will appeal decision of arbitration award as legally flawed

 Metro officials will appeal the decision of the arbitration award on the collective bargaining agreement between the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority and Local 689 of the Amalgamated Transit Union because it failed to comply with federal law governing Metro’s arbitration process.

“We support our employees and we also support binding arbitration carried out in accordance with the law. However, the arbitration panel must comply with the law. The panel failed to make any findings, as the law requires, on the ability of the system to fund the award without adversely affecting the public welfare,” Metro General Manager John Catoe said.

The arbitration award did not comply with the National Capital Area Interest Arbitration Standards Act, which:

• Prohibits an arbitrator from rendering an award that provides for salaries and other benefits that exceed the interstate compact agency’s funding ability;
• Allows an increase in pay rates only if any costs to the agency do not adversely affect the public welfare; and
• Requires the arbitrator to issue a written award that demonstrates all of the factors in the Act.

The arbitration award failed to address the above legal requirements and therefore is legally defective.

The collective bargaining agreement covers approximately 7,700 Metro employees. The arbitration process began in February and the ruling was signed late yesterday in a split decision by the three-person panel conducting the arbitration, and would result in wage increases exceeding 9 percent.

To read the decision of the arbitration panel, click here.

Media contact for this news release: Lisa Farbstein at 202-962-1051.
For all other inquiries, please call customer service at 202-637-7000.

News release issued at 2:44 pm, November 5, 2009.